Bamseom () is a pair of islets in the Han River in
Seoul
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
, South Korea. The uninhabited islets, with a total area of about and length of , are located between the larger island of
Yeouido
Yeouido (), also Yohido, is a river island on the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. It is Seoul's main finance, media, and investment banking district. It is large and has a population of 32,674 .
The island is located in the Yeongdeungpo Dis ...
, to which they were once connected, and the north shore. They remain connected to one another by a narrow strip of sedimentary silt. Seogang Bridge passes directly over the western islet, though there is no access available, as the islets have been left as a natural sanctuary. There is, however, an observation point for bird-watching. Migratory birds use the islets often and among the birds which can be seen are
mallard
The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa. It has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Arge ...
s,
great egret
The great egret (''Ardea alba''), also known as the common egret, large egret, great white egret, or great white heron, is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe. R ...
common kestrel
The common kestrel (''Falco tinnunculus''), also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel or Old World kestrel, is a species of bird of prey, predatory bird belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family (biology), family Falconidae. ...
The islands were inhabited until the Seogang Bridge was built over them, using the west islet as a support for one of the beams. Most of the inhabitants of Bamseom in the
Joseon era
Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...
were shipbuilders.
February 10, 1968, Bamseom was detonated for the purpose of collecting rubble required for the construction of the embankment for the development of Yeouido, and the island was divided into upper Bamseom (northwest) and Lower Bamseom.
Ecosystem
Bamseom is a key location for a wide variety of bird species, such as the
Mandarin duck
The mandarin duck (''Aix galericulata'') is a perching duck species native to the East Palearctic. It is Sexual dimorphism, sexually dimorphic – the males are elaborately coloured, while the females have more subdued colours. It is a medium- ...
, and it serves as a shelter for migratory birds during the winter. There are also about 108 species of plants on the island, such as willow trees and itch reeds. Additionally, Bamseom is an excellent place for children living in the city to experience nature. In 1999, the Seoul metropolitan government registered Bamseon as a
"natural preservation district".
Banseom was designated
Ramsar site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
The west islet, over which Seogang Bridge passes, has a length of . This is the more forested of the two islets, particularly at the western point.
East Islet
The east islet has a length of . This islet contains a bay which opens onto the strip of water between the islets. This bay has largely silted up and is therefore marshy and contains many reeds and reed-dwelling organisms.
Gallery
File:Seogang Bridge Seoul.jpg, Seogang Bridge and the western islet of Bamseom
File:Bamseom and Yeouido.jpg, Bamseom with Yeouido in the background
File:Bamseom - East Islet from Seogang Bridge.jpg, Bamseom's East Islet from Seogang Bridge
File:Bamseom and Namsan.jpg, Bamseom and
Namsan
Namsan () is a peak in Jung District, Seoul, South Korea. It was also known as Mongmyeoksan () in the past. It offers some hiking, picnic areas and views of downtown Seoul's skyline. The N Seoul Tower is located at the summit of Namsan.
The ...
Park
Bamseon has extensive facilities for tourists and visitors. So far, 6 observatory platforms and direction boards for visitors have been erected. The facility allows citizens to visit from December to February.Yeongdeungpo Park This timetable was set by a 1999 governmental decision, as this is a
Ramsar site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
and protecting the birds is critical when choosing a time for observation of the birds by ornithologists and naturalists.
Desert island
An uninhabited island, desert island, or deserted island, is an island, islet or atoll which lacks permanent human population. Uninhabited islands are often depicted in films or stories about shipwrecked people, and are also used as stereotypes ...
*
List of islands
This is a list of the lists of islands in the world grouped by country, by continent, by body of water
A body of water or waterbody is any significant accumulation of water on the surface of Earth or another planet. The term most often refer ...